Apparatus for fabricating a socket mount



Oct. 9, 1962 B. E. A. LAWSON 3,057,042

APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SOCKET MOUNT ()riginal Filed March 12, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Z9 1 22 6 28 34 24 32 i Q 58 i 7 I j i my I 45 ,1 1% 20 [t A 56 Q I INVENTOR BERT EA. L/IWSO/V ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 B. E. A. LAWSON APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SOCKET MOUNT Original Filed March 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 RQQ o M mm u 9 MA A. I m a A T I A o o o o o o 0 Q A. A a 5 5 Q A 080 A O O O Oct. 9, 1962 B. E. A. LAWSON APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SOCKET MOUNT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 12, 1953 INVENTOR BERT E. A. LAM 504" Oct. 9, 1962 B. E. A. LAWSON 3,057,042

APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SOCKET MOUNT Original Filed March 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mm A Ii iHHHlll INVENTOR .6527 E. '9. LAM 50M ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1962 B. E. A. LAWSON 3,057,042

APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SOCKET MOUNT Original Filed March 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v. II I 1 Arm l 45 A /04 A 5 z 756" 64 he /'/4 i 1 W \l um E E ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office Patented Oct. 9, 1962 3,057,042 APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING A SGCKET MOUNT Bert E. A. Lawson, Lakewood, N.Y., assignor to Sylvania Electric Products Inc, a corporation of Massachusetts Griginal application Mar. 12, 1953, Ser. No. 341,851, new Patent No. 2,918,721, dated Dec. 29, 1959. Divided and this application Feb. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 807,967 8 Claims. (Ci. 2934) The present invention is a division of Patent No. 2,918,- 721 issued Dec. 29, 1959, and relates to apparatus for manufacturing mounts or saddles for tube sockets, and to such socket saddles as products. In the manufacturing aspect. the present invention contemplates means for progressively working flat meta'llic stock to form socket mounts or saddles.

In supporting vacuum tubes on a chassis, it has become increasingly popular to employ a mount or saddle which seats the tube socket body and is secured to the chassis. Usually, the saddle is attached to the chassis by separate eyelets or studs requiring an operator to handle several components. This is time consuming and, especially when mounting miniature vacuum tubes, require a fair amount of skill and dexterity.

To overcome these and other difficulties, it is to advantage to construct a socket mount or saddle having a seat to secure the socket body and bearing a flange or ears formed with integral eyelets simplifying handling of the mounts and assembly on the chassis. The tube socket is received within the seat and is mounted on the chassis by inserting the eyelets of the saddle in apertures provided in the chassis and thereafter upsetting the ends of the eyelets. In order to assure adequate support for the tube, the seat in the mount should be relatively deep and the eyelets should be dimensioned to allow for a rigid connection to the chassis. In addition to these physical requirements, the manufacture of the socket saddle should be accomplished at low unit cost, especially in view of the extensive use of the saddles.

Various methods and apparatus for constructing socket mounts having the requisite physical properties have been suggested. The use of flat metallic sheet stock in conjunction with a press having one or more reciprocating die sets for progressively forming the sheet stock appears to be exceptionally advantageous since this type of operation readily lends itself to mass production at low unit cost. However, this technique has not heretofore been successful since flat sheet material of a gauge suitable for forming the seat and the eyelets usually will not withstand the stresses and strains incident to embossing relatively deep sockets and drawing integral eyelets. Frequently the sheet material rips in regions intermediate the eyelets and the seat and/ or the eyelets are not strong enough to assure adequate support when connected to the chassis.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel process and apparatus for the manufacture of socket saddles or mounts which obviates one or more of the aforesaid difficulties.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and means for progressively forming socket saddles from flat metallic sheet stock.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a socket saddle or mount which is stamped from flat sheet stock, yet is of substantially uniform thickness throughout, especially in regions having sharp bends or turns.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a process and apparatus for forming socket saddles with integral eyelets without adversely affecting the mechanical strength of the saddles.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the progressive dieing out socket saddles from flat sheet stock to provide relatively deep socket-receiving seats and well dimensioned attaching studs or eyelets.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following brief description of an illustrative process particularly advantageous for progressively stamping flat metallic blanks to form socket saddles with integral eyelets. Certain of the objects of the present invention are attained by embossing a portion of the fiat metallic blank to provide a depending supporting part or seat adapted to embrace the tube socket together with so swaging other portions of the blanks, usually in the form of ears, as to cause the metal of the ears to flow into the regions liable to rip during formation of integral eyelets. These regions most frequently occur contiguous to sharp bends or turns, such as at the shoulder along which the socket-receiving seat merges into the ears and at the base of the eyelets. The swaging operation thickens these regions in an amount sufficient to leave adequate metal after the drawing of the integral eyelets and completion of the saddle. Accordingly, the resultant saddle or mount still includes supporting ears of a thickness substantially the same as the initial thickness of the sheet stock, yet is provided with integral eyelets for attaching the saddle to a chassis or the like.

The nature of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative process and apparatus, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressing machine including die sets embodying features of the present in- Vention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the top die set of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom die set of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a strip of sheet material illustrating the progessive processing steps along the feed path through the machine;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a socket mount during processing and taken along the lines 5-5 of the upper and lower die sets of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view, with parts broken away, of the swaging die members, taken along the lines 66 of the upper and lower die sets of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 6a is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a socket mount after being processed through the swaging die members as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the socket mount after swaging and shaping taken along the line 7-7 of the upper and lower die sets of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the punching die members, taken along line 88 of the upper and lower die sets in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the lines 99' of the upper and lower die sets of FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a completed stocket mount after being separated from the strip.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a press of the type including fixed and movable die members and having a base 20 with spaced-apart uprights or standards 22, 24. Arranged transversely of the standards 22, 24 is a drive shaft 26 journaled on the standards by bearings 28, 30. Adjacent one of its ends the drive shaft 26 carries a flywheel 32 coupled to a drive motor not shown. The drive shaft 26, intermediate the bearings 28, 30, is turned down to form an eccentric part 34 which carries a split bearing 36 having a depending ram shaft 38. The ram shaft 38 is coupled through a universal joint 40 to a vertical reciprocating shaft 42 slidably supported within a guide plate 44 on the standards 22, 24. The reciprocating shaft 42 carries an upper die set 46 which is movable toward and away from the lower die set 48 on the base in response to vertical reciprocation of the shaft 42. Suitable guide rods 50, 52 are connected to the lower die set 48 and slidably received within the upper die set 46 to preclude rotation of the upper die set 46 relative to the lower die set 48. The respective die sets carry male and female die members, to be subsequently described in detail, which are arranged along the feed path for a strip of metallic stock to be progressively formed into socket mounts.

In order to intermittently feed the strips of sheet stock, designated by the letter A, through the upper and lower die sets 46, 48 a suitable advancing mechanism is provided which is preferably driven by the drive shaft 26. Specifically, a pair of advancing rollers 54, 56 are journaled on spaced-apart shafts 58, 60 with the peripheries of the rollers arranged in substantially coplanar relation with the meeting plane of the die sets 46, 48. The upper advancing or feed roller 56 is driven by a ratchet 62 carried on the shaft 60 and periodically rotated in a counterclockwise direction by a pawl 64. The pawl 64 is dependingly supported on a vertical operating rod 66 supported on the bracket 63 fixed to the standard 22. Adjacent its upper end, the operating rod 66 carries a cam follower 68 which is biased by spring 72 into engagement with an advancing cam 70 on shaft 26. Accord ingly, in response to upward movement of the operating rod 66, as the cam follower 68 riding along the dwell portion of the advancing cam 70', the pawl 64 will index the ratchet 62 to effect stepwise feeding of the metallic strip A through the upper and lower die sets 46, 48.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown the details of the upper and lower die sets 46, 48. The strip material A to be processed is fed into the die sets 46, 48 from the left side and successively passes through cooperating male and female die members which progressively shape the metallic blank into the completed socket mount 80 of FIG. 10. The socket mount 80 includes a pair of opposed ears or supporting parts 82, 84 formed with integral upwardly projecting cylindrical eyelets or attaching studs 86, 88. Extending in the opposite direction from the eyelets 86, 88, is a socketseating part 90 which includes an upper marginal flange 92 formed as a continuation of the coplanar cars 82, 84, a depending substantially cylindrical bounding wall 94, and a lower inwardly projecting supporting flange 96.

The upper die set 46 carries male die cutting members 102, 104, 106 which cooperate with complementary female die members 102', 104, 106' on the lower die set 48 for cutting the strip A into individual mount-forming blanks a. Specifically the male and female die parts or members 102, 102' and 104, and 104' shape the opposite ends of the blank a to define the opposed coplanar ears 82, 84 of the completed socket mount 80; while the male and female die parts or members 106, 106 shape the sides of the blank a to define the outer edges of the upper marginal flange 92 of the completed socket mount 80. It is to be noted that the dies 102, 102, 104, 104 cooperate with the dies 106, 106' in forming flexible connectors or straps b, b intermediate adjacent blanks a for yieldably interconnecting the longitudinal series of blanks formed by the cutting die members.

Immediately following the male cutting die members on the upper die set 46 is a male embossing member 108 which cooperate with a complementary female embossing member 108 on the lower die set 48 for depressing an intermediate portion of the blank a to form the depending socket seating part 90 of the socket mount 80. The blank a, after passing through the male and female embossing die members 108, 108', is shaped to include the depending socket seating part 90 having a cylindrical Following the male embossing die member 108 on the upper die set 46 are female swaging die members 110, 112 which cooperate with complementary male die members 110, 112, on the lower die set 48 to cause the metal of the coplanar ears 82, 84 to be crowded toward the socket seating part This crowding or flowing of the metal of the ears reinforces regions c, c, which are subsequently stressed during the formation of the integral eyelets 86, 88. As clearly seen in FIG. 6, the female die members 110', 112' are constructed and arranged relative to the male die members 110, 112 to permit the metal of the ears 82, 84 to be stretched toward the regions of the blank a which are most liable to rip during the drawing of the eyelets 86, 88 from the ears. The male and female die members 110, 112 and 110, 112' deform the ears 82, 84 into divergent relationship and form dome-shaped protuberances d, d thereon having the reinforced parts c, 0' meeting the socket seating part 90 along the shoulder 91, Intermediate the female swaging die members 110, 112 is a male embossing member 114 of substantially the same shape as the male embossing member 108 and effective to further emboss the socket seating part 90 to obtain greater definition and a deeper seat.

Subsequent to the swaging die members, the upper and lower die sets 46, 48 are provided with three successive stages of shaping die members which progressively neck down or form the dome-shaped protuberances d, d into substantially cylindrical extensions e, e having closed upper ends, as seen in FIG. 7. Specifically, each of the shaping stages includes female shaping die members 116', 118' arranged on opposite sides of a male embossing die member 120 and supported on the upper die set 46, the female shaping die members being complementary to male die members 116, 118 carried on the lower die set 48.

Following the shaping die members the upper and lower die sets 46, 48 are provided with three stages of punching and shaping die members for forming holes in the closed ends of the substantially cylindrical extensions e, e and for drawing the extensions into elongated cylindrical forms of reduced cross-section as compared to the initial dome-shaped protuberances d, d and the intermediate substantially cylindrical extensions e, e. Specifically, the upper die set 46 carries male punching die members 122, 124 arranged on opposite sides of a male embossing member 126 similar to the embossing members 108, 114. The male punching members 122, 124 are receivable within appropriate female punching members 122, 124'. The successive male and female punching members being graduated to reduce the cross-section of the extensions e, e into the desired elongated cylindrical configuration of the integrally formed eyelets 86, 88.

Arranged along the feed path of the strip material A and following the punching and shaping die members are complementary cut-out die members for removing a substantial part of the bottom wall 96' of the socket-receiving seat 90 to leave the annular supporting flange 9'6 integral with the cylindrical bounding wall 94. Specifically, a male cut-out die member 128 is supported on the upper die set 46 and is complementary with a female die member 128' on the lower die set 48 to provide the desired circular opening within the bottom wall 96 of the socket mount 80. In lieu of the continuous supporting flange 96, the cut-out male and female die members 128, 128 could be shaped to provide radial legs or the like extending inwardly from the circular bounding wall 94.

The final operation to be performed is accomplished by trimming die members arranged subsequent to the cut-out die member 128, 128. The upper die set 46 supports a male trimming die part 130 which cooperates with a complementary female trimming die part 130' on the lower die set 48 to cut away the flexible connectors or straps b,

b' which yieldably supported the blanks a during movement along the feed path. Additionally, the trimming die members or parts 130, 130' may be constructed to further cut away the marginal edges of the blank in order to provide a more perfect finish to the completed socket mount.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, there is shown the details of the support for the respective male and female die members of the various processing stages, and the construction of the die sets 46, 48 assuring the uninterrupted feeding of the strip A through the progressive dieing-out operations. Specifically, the lower die set 48 carries a supporting table 132 which mounts a resiliently suspended strip clearing pad 134 serving to free the strip A being processed prior to indexing of the strip and subsequent to each stamping operation. The strip-clearing pad 134, seen in plan in FIG. 3, is in the form of an elongated plate 136 having longitudinally spaced, laterally projecting extensions 138, 140. Underlying the respective pairs of extensions 138, 140 of the strip clearing pad 134, are springs 142, 144 which bias the pad 134 upwardly from the supporting table 132 to free the stamped blanks from the die members on the lower die set 48. Suitable bolts 144 (FIG. 9) limit the upward travel of the strip clearing pad 134. In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the elongated plate 136 of the strip clearing pad 134 is arranged to support the embossed socket seating part 90 of the mount during processing of the ears 82, 84 to form the integral eyelets, namely the swaging, shaping and punching operations. The leading edge of the strip clearing pad 134 is beveled to provide an inclined part 146 assuring the unimpeded advance of the strip A onto the strip-clearing pad 134. Additionally guide ears 148, 150 are provided on longitudinal plates 152 to laterally confine the strip A against movement from the feed path after leaving the embossing die members 108, 108.

The female swaging die members 110', 112', the female shaping die members 16' and 118', and the male punching and forming die members 122, 124 are all supported on a common cushioning head 154 which is resiliently suspended from the upper die set 46. The cushioning head 154 is movable relative to the die set 46 to an extent determined by the length of supporting bolts 156. The resilient suspension for the cushioning head 154 includes springs 158 surrounding the bolts 156 and normally biasing the cushioning head down- Wardly and away from die set 46. Accordingly, as the upper die set 46 is moved toward the lower die set 48 under the control of the vertically reciprocating shaft 42, the die members carried thereby will come into contact with the strip A which rests upon the strip-clearing pad 134 whereupon the strip-clearing pad will move to its lowermost position. The cushioning head will travel through a cushioning stroke to avoid the instantaneous application of pressure to the blank a being formed. When the cushioning head 154 reaches its uppermost position as determined by the length of the bolts 156, further downward movement of the upper die set 46 completes the forming operation. Thereafter, as the die set 46 moves upwardly, the strip-clearing pad 134 returns to its upward position clearing the strip A from the die members of the lower set 48. Thereupon the strip A is indexed to advance to the blanks a for further processing.

At the beginning and end of the feed path, the upper die set 46 is provided with spring biased hold-down bolts 160 which are arranged on opposite sides of the strip A and restrain the strip against movement from the feed path.

For a complete understanding of the processing of the flat metallic stock to form socket mounts in accordance with the principles of the present invention, reference will now be had to FIG. 4 wherein a strip of sheet metal is illustrated in alignment with one of the die stocks shown in FIG. 2 and showing the successive stages of processing. During a first operation, the flat strip A of thin metallic stock is passed through the cutting die members 102, 104, 186 and corresponding parts 102', 104', 106 of FIG. 3 to cut the strip into the blanks a. These blanks are interconnected by the flexible connectors b, b, which permit longitudinal movement of the blanks relative to each other during the progressive stamping operations. Thereafter, the blanks a are formed with the centrally-disposed socket seating parts by the cooperating action of embossing die members 108, 108'. Then, the blanks, with the embossed socket seating parts 90, are brought into position relative to the swaging die members 110, 112, 110, 112', which cause material of the ears 82, 84 to be drawn inwardly and toward the sharply turned shoulder 91 of socket seating parts 91). Concurrently, the swaging die members coact to form the preliminary dome-shaped protuberances d, d. During the swaging operation, the embossing die member 114 enters the socket seating parts 90 to increase the definition thereof. Subsequent to the swaging of the ears 82, 84 to form the reinforced parts a, c, the partially processed blanks a are passed through the shaping die members 116, 118, 116, 118'. During the successive shaping stages, the dome-shaped protuberances d, d are formed into the substantially cylindrical extensions. It is to be observed that the successive shaping stages include male and female die parts of decreasing cross-sectional areas to neck down the protuberances d, d. After leaving the successive shaping stations, the blanks a proceed through the punching and shaping die members 122, 124, whereat the closed ends of the cylindrical extensions e, e are punched out and the extensions drawn into the substantially cylindrical eyelets 86, 88. The final stamping operations include the cutting away of the bottom walls 96 of the socket seating parts 90 by the cooperating cut-out die members 128, 128', and the separation of the blanks a from each other by the trimming die members 130, 130' which remove the flexible connectors b, b and, provide a final trimming out around marginal edges of the blanks a.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the process and apparatus of the present invention may be advantageously employed to form socket mounts of a requisite physical configuration. The aforesaid process is accomplished by the use of techniques particularly advantageous from the standpoint of economy and adaptability to routine mass production methods. Further the risk of drawing out the material of the sheet stock to a point where fracture is liable to occur is minimized thereby rendering possible the use of a reciprocating die member having a relatively long stroke with fiat sheet stock of comparatively thin gauge.

While in accordance with the provision of the statutes, we have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of our invention now known to us, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed and in the method without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some cases certain features of our invention may be used to advantage Without a corresponding use of other features.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing socket mounts from metallic blanks each having opposed ears, embossing means including complementary press members for forming intermediate portions of said blanks into socketseating members, swaging means including complementary press members for flowing metal into regions of said ears to be subsequently stressed during formation of integral eyelets, shaping means including complementary press member for forming said ears with integral eyelets, and means to feed said blanks along a feed path and through the respective complementary press members, said complementary press members being positioned along said feed path and on opposite sides of said blanks.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing socket mounts from a strip of flat metallic stock, comprising cutting means including complementary press members for forming said strip into blanks interconnected by straps and having opposed ears, embossing means including complementary press members for forming intermediate portions of said blanks into socket-seating members, swaging means including complementary press members for flowing metal into regions of said ears adjacent said socket-seating members, shapin-gmeans including complementary press members for forming said ears with integral eyelets, and means to feed said blanks along a feed path and through the respective complementary press members, said complementary press members being positioned along said feed path and on opposite sides of said blanks.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing a socket mount from a metallic blank having opposed ears, embossing means including male and female die members for forming an intermediate portion of said blank into a socketseating member, swaging means for distorting said ears to provide protuberances, said swaging means including substantially complementary male and female die members constructed and arranged relative to each other to permit the metal of said ears to be stretched toward said intermediate portion to thicken said protuberances adjacent said s'ocket-seating member, and means to feed said blank along a feed path and through the respective male and female die members, said male and female die mem bers being arranged along said feed path and on op osite sides of said blank.

4. Inan apparatus for manufacturing a socket saddle from a strip of metallic stock, feed means for periodically advancing said strip of metallic stock along a feed path, a plurality of sets of male and female die members arranged along said feed path, and means operable in timed relation to said feed means for periodically moving said sets of male and female die members into a cooperating position for progressively working said strip of metallic stock, a first set of said male and female die members being constructed to out said strip into individual blanks connected by resilient straps, the next set of said male and female die members being constructed to emboss an intermediate portion of each of said blanks to form a socket-seating part, the next set of said male and female die members being constucted to swage other portions ofv each of said blanks to flow the metal of said other portions toward said intermediate portion, and fur ther sets of said male and female die members being constructed to shape said other portions of each of said blanks tov draw integral eyelets therefrom.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing a socket saddle from a strip of metallic stock, feed means for periodically advancing said strip of metallic stock along a feed path, a plurality of sets of male and female die members arranged alongsaid feedpath, and means operable in timed relation to said feed means for periodically moving said sets of male. and female die members into a cooperating position for progressively working said strip of metallic stock, a first set of said male and female die members being constructed to cut said strip into individual blanks conheated by resilient straps, the next set of said male and female die members being constructed to emboss an indeterminate portion of each'of said blanks to form a socket-seating part, the next set of male and female die members being constructed to swage other portions of each of said blanks into divergent relationship with re spect to each other and to form dome-shaped protuberances thickened contiguous to said socket-seating part, the next set of said male and female die members being constructed to draw said dome-shaped protuberances into elongated extensions each having a closed end, and the next set of said male and female die members being constructed to punch and shape said extensions into substantially cylindrical open-ended eyelets.

6. An apparatus for fabricating a socket mount having integral attaching studs from a flat metallic blank having coplanar ears comprising means for embossing an intermediate portion of said blank to form a socket-seating part, means for swaging said ears into divergent relationship with respect to each other such that metal of said ears flows into regions contiguous to said socket-seating part, means for returning said ears to their initial coplanar position, and means for drawing integral attaching studs forming said ears.

7. An apparatus for forming a socket mount of the type including a seat and at least one projecting ear having an integral eyelet comprising means for forming a fiat strip of metallic stock into a blank including means for embossing said blank to form a socket-seatingpart having a bottom wall and a supporting ear adjoining said socket-seating part at a sharply turned shoulder, means for flowing material of said ear towards said shoulder, and for concurrently forming a dome-shaped protuberance in said ear, and means for drawing an eyelet forming said dome-shaped protuberance.

8. An apparatus for forming a socket mount of the type including a seat and a pair of projecting ears each having integral eyelets comprising cutting means for forming a flat strip of metallic stock into a series of blanks flexibly interconnected by straps, forming means for embossing successive blanks to form a socket-seating part having'a bottom wall and a supporting ear adjoining said socket-seating part at a sharply turned shoulder, swaging' means for flowing material of said ear towards said'shoulder, means for drawing an eyelet from each of; said-ears, means for cutting away said bottom wall of said socket-seating part, and means for separating successive completed socket mounts from each other by trimniing off saidstraps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,332,704 Enes Oct. 26, 1943 2,341,462 M'atson Feb. 8, 1944 2,534,672 Hedberg Dec. 19, 1950 2,918,721 Lawson Dec. 29, 1959 

